Rotary motor.



No. 652,035. Patented June [9, I900. M. MICHON.

ROTARY MOTOR.

(Application filed Aug. 80, 1895 9.)

3 Sheets -Sheet I.

(No Model.)

i/(L'tneaaaa- THE uonms PETERS co. wo'rcuwmwm No. 652,035. P atentedluhe I9, 1900. I M. MICHUN.

ROTARY MOTOR.

(Application filed Aug. 36, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 21.

(No Model.)

No. 652,035. Patented lune l9, I900.

- M. MICHON.

ROTARY moron.

- A lication filed Aug. 30, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Shoots-Sheet 3.

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'PATENT Erica.

MAURICE MICI'ION, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

ROTARY MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,035, dated June 19,1900. Application filed August 30, 1899. Serial No. 728,976. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE MICHON, engineer, a citizen of the Republicof France, and a resident of 1 Rue Ohabanais, Paris, France, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Motors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a rotary motor of keeping it in a collapsedcondition and that on admitting a fluid under pressure into the hollowbody behind the drum said fluid tends to inflate the hollow body, whichthereby presses upon the rear part of the drum and compels it to rolland to cause the motor-shaft to rotate.

The improvement consists in certain novel combinations in such a motor,which are hereinafter described with reference to the aocompanyingdrawings and the novelty of which I will point out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates, by way of example, in a sectiontransverse to its axis of rotation a motor embodying my improvement witha variable expansion without any closing device other than the drum, andin which, consequently, the hollow body makes more than one turn aroundits cylinder and its two ends are arranged side by side. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section 011 the line A B of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 aresectional views of detail showing a mode of constructionof the hollowbody Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams of the hollow body unrolled, showing thewidth which may be given to it at different places. Figs. 7 and 8 areviews of an arrangement which can be used for reducing the resistances.Figs. 9 and 10 are longitudinal and cross-sections, respectively,showing a mode of construction of the hollow body. Fig. 11 shows by twoviews a mode of construction of the drum.- Figs. 12 and 13 are sectionalviews of parts showing closing devices which can be applied to themotor. Fig. 14-is a transverse section of parts of a motorin which thetwo ends of the hollow bodies are placed one upon the other. Fig. 15 isa longitudinal section of parts of a motor in which two hollow bodiesare placed side by side.

In the figures, a indicates the cylinder, and b the hollow bodyliningits internal surface. 0 is the drum, which rolls on the hollow body, andd is the motor-shaft, on the eccentric portion or crank o of which thisdrum is mounted free to turn. The circumference of the drum is tangentto the hollow body when deflated; but, further, the drum may be providedat its periphery,at certain intervals of dista.nce,with ribs f, which bycompressing the material of the hollow body insure the tightness of theclosing. A similar effect might be obtained and the friction might bediminished by forming the periphery of the drum of rollers, as shown inFig. 11. The cylinder may, however, be constructed in any suitablemanner, the essential condition of its construction being that it shallbe fluid-tight from one end to the other. In the examples shown in Figs.1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings itis formed of a tube or sleeve ofa suitable supple or elasticmaterial situated between the wall of thecylinder and a canvas band g, each edge of which is fixed between acircular rib it, formed or fixed to the cylinder, and the tighteningring 2'. The height at each point of the rib or fixed ring h, as alsothe tension of the band 9, are selected in such a manner that the tubealways assumes the extent of inflation which is convenient, ashereinafter explained. The fluid under pressure entering the tube at land advancing in the direction of the arrows 8 in- Hates the tube behindthe drum,and thus compels the latter to advance and to cause the shaft dto rotate, as indicated by the arrow 9. When during this movement thedrum moves near to the exhaust-orifice 6, it must not be hindered bythat part of the hollow body which is situated in front of it and whichis filled with fluid under pressure. The inflation of this part musttherefore be so limited that the drum shall not touch the said part whenit arrives opposite the exhaust. (Position indicated by the circle 10.)For this pu rpose the hollow body must be shaped or bound by the band gin such a manner that the inof a tightenin g-bolt 7c.

.saidrings.

flation shall be m'l from 1 to 2, (upon which part the drum rolls duringthe expansion,) and shall then increase gradually up to a point 3, whereit reaches its maximum. The height of the rib h must naturally follow asimilar progressive increase, which is indicated by the dotted curve 11in Fig. 1. From 3 to 4 the inflation of the hollow body retains itsmaximum amount, and the same applies consequently to the height of therib h. It will be noticed that when the hollow body has assumed itsmaximum inflation at 4 the drum has arrived opposite the exhaust(position 10) and in its part which is comprised between the point 4 andthe exhaust 6 the hollow body can only have an inflation which is equalto that which is necessary in order that it shall bear against the drum.This inflation cannot possibly increase subsequently, because as soon asthe drum leaves theposition l0 deflation is produced. The result of thisis that from 4 to 6 it is useless to limit the inflation by means of theband g, because there is no tendency to produce any excessive inflationat that point. For this reason in the example shown the rib h and thering 11 are stopped short at 4. At this point the ring abuts against astop-piece j. It is kept tight throughoutits extent on the edges of theband g by reason of the action which is exerted upon it by thewedge-shaped head The tightening of the ring 11 may also be produced inany other suitable mannersu ch as, for example, bymeansofboltsk',providedatsuitable points,as shown in Fig. 3. The band 9may be made of one or more thicknesses. It may cover either simply thetube 1), as shown in Fig. 2, or it may envelop it completely, as shownin Fig. 3. In any case its edges instead of being fixed between therings h and i, may be provided with attachment-beads't" which arereceived into grooves formed by the rings, as shown on the left hand ofFig. 3. The beads may be made in any suitable manner-such as, forexample, of a cord of metallic wire. Further, the above-mentioned modesof attachments may also be combined together-that is to say, the band 9may be tightened between the rings and it may be provided with beads,which are received in the grooves formed by on the right hand of Fig. 3;also, the rings t' may be made in such a manner as to act by lateralthrust, as shown in Fig. 4. In this case each of the rings 73, which isdivided into segments, exerts a tightening action by reason ofthe thrustwhich is exerted upon it by the wedge-shaped segments when the nuts 51;are screwed up. Long coiled springs g, which encircle the cylinder, maybe employed with advantage/for the purpose of keeping the lateral partsof the envelops in place in recesses of the cylinder in order that theyshall not form a bead on the passage of the drum. This arrangement byavoiding all prominences in the interior of the cylinder facili- Thisarrangement is illustrated tates the placing side by side of severalhollow bodies or parts of a hollow body on the same drum. For the samepurposethat is to say, in order to diminish the injurious resistancewhich is opposed to the advance of the drum by that part of the hollowbody that receives the motive fluid-the hollow body maybe contracted atits ad mission part where said resistance mightbe produced-that is tosay, at that part which is comprised between 1 and 3. I have shown thisarrangement in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, as also inFig. 5, which illustrates on a smaller scale the development of thehollow body. The first part of the hollow body comprised between theadmission-orifice 1 and the point 2, which is situated opposite theexhaust-orifice 6, never acts with motive effect and serves solely as aconduit to admit the fluid into the remainder of the hollow body. It maytherefore be of a uniform section, just sufflcient for the admission ofthe fluid. This part is situated in the cylinder by the side of the lastportion 5 6 of thehollow body, and this is the more easy because theenvelop g does not exist at that part. From 2 to 3 the hollow body mustexert upon the drum agraduallyincreasing effect, because its inflationmust increase from zero to the maximum. For this reason I have made itof a section which is also gradually increasing, as shown in Fig. 5.From 3 to 6 the section remains constant. It will, however, be remarkedthat that part of the hollow body which exerts its full action upon thedrum is comprised between the points 3 and 4, because from the point 4onward the inflation, being limited by the drum itself, diminishesprogressively. As the portion of maximum utility is limited between thepoints 3 and 4 the other parts of the hollow bodymay Withoutinconvenience be considered as not being motive, and they may havesimply the dimensions which are necessary for the admission and theexhaust. This is shown in Fig. 6. It is to be noted that the two lengths2 3 and 4 6 are equal, because they correspond to distances reckoned onthe drum from the tangential point 2 6 up to the points of maximuminflation 3 or 4, which are symmetrical relatively to the tangentialpoint. It is to be noted also that the expansion would not be changed inany way if there were set off at 6 7 one-half of the length 1 2, so longas the two ends of the hollow body shall always be arranged side by sidefor a length:

Under these conditions the two parts-first-, the admission part 1' to 3,and, second, the exhaust part 4 to 7-are absolutely identical. They maytherefore be taken one for the other-that is to say, the motor isreversible. The length 3 4 depends obviously on the relative sizes ofthe cylinder and of the drum and on the extent of the inflation. Now onone hand it is well that the drum should be as large as possible inorder that the hollow part shall be able to act on a large portion ofits circumference without excessive inflation,

and on the other hand there must be a wellthrust exerted by the hollowbody upon the I defined relation between these three quantities (thediameters of the cylinder and of the drum and the inflation of thehollow body) in order to give a maximum effect. In fact, the

drum is wholly utilized for propulsion only when it is exertedtangentially to the cylinder described by the axis of the crank c, Fig.1, and in order that this thrust of complete utilization shall be ableto be produced it is obvious that, calling a the maximum inflation,there should be i a a n w. But I have n w (Z10 (Zn: d w e (l -ken? lVhence I get z d w-Ve d +en d 20 being the radius of the cylinder, 6 clthe radius of eccentricity of the crank e, and e n the radius of thedrum. While taking the above conditions into account, by suitable choiceof inflation and of the diameter of the drum with relation to thediameter of the cylinder the arrangement can always be made such thatthe length 3 4 shall bean exact fraction of the circumference of thecylinder--for example, one-third. Then the three wide portions 20 21 22of three identical hollow bodies can be placed end to end in the mannershown in Fig. 6. The drum is therefore acted upon successively by thethree hollow bodies-that is to say, during the Whole of itsmovement;also, in the same sequence of ideas the surface of the cylinder might belined with a large number of hollow bodies having very short inflatableportions arranged end to end. In this case it might be well to make thearrangement such that each inflatable part shall only become inflatedafter the drum has passed beyond it. This may be effected with ease byprolonging the admission-duct up to the outlet end of the inflatablepart and in causing it to return upon itself, so as to end at the entryend of the said inflatable part, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6.It will, in fact, be perceived that so long as the drum rolls from 1 to4 it will act to close the duct 1 to 4, and will thus prevent the motivefluid from entering the inflated part 21; but as soon as the drum movesbeyond the bend 30 the fluid has free access to the part 21 and inflatesit. Moreover, it is obvious that it is not indispensable that-the bend30 should face the end of the discharge from the inflatable part. Itsposition depends solely on the moment when the inflation is desired tobe produced.

I have just explained that in order to lessen the objectionableresistance opposed to the drum by the admission part of the sleeve andat the same time to insure reversibility of the motion I make the parts1 to 3 and4 to 7 tubes of small action. It is obvious that I wouldfurther lessen resistance if I shortened these parts. I realize this, asindicated in Figs. 7 and 8, by employing auxiliary cylinders of smalldiameter, at the internal surface of which I arrange thedistribution-passages 1 to 3 and 4 to 7 and corresponding auxiliarydrums mounted, like the main drum, upon suitable bent or eccentric partsof the motor-shaft d. The action is absolutely the same as when there isonly one cylinder and drum. During the displacement of the three drumsfrom 1 to 3 the small admission-drum Z makes the corresponding part ofthe sleeve fluid-tight. At 3 it ceases to act; but when the motordrum 0comes into action, since it begins to roll on the inflatable part 21,over which it then passes from 3 to 4, it leaves it at the latter point;but then the small dischargedrum m tightens in its turn in rolling from4 to 7 on the discharge part of the sleeves. This application of smallauxiliary drums facilitates the end-to-end arrangement of the inflatableparts, such as 20 21 22, Fig. 6, belonging to several sleeves.

My system not only permits the end-to-end arrangement of the motor partsof several sleeves, but it permits also the side-by-side arrangement ofseveral sleeves or inflatable parts of the sleeves. In this case, ifdesired, the action of all the sleeves may be transmitted to the singledrum by means of rigid bars, such as o, fixed across all the sleeves,Fig. 15.

By placing several sleeves side by side, so that their orifices are noton the same lines, but regularly distributed over the circumference ofthe cylinder, there may be obtained, as in the case of inflatable partsplaced end to end, a uniform push of the sleeves upon the single drumduring its whole rotation.

In all cases it is not indispensable that the cylinder should have arectilineal profile. It may be concave or convex, provided that theperiphery of the drum has a corresponding form. When the cylinder at hasa concave interior surface, as shown in Fig. 9, the sleeve can consistof a simple flexible band. fixed to the cylinder by its two margins, theinterior surface of the cylinder forming the other wall of the sleeve.Such flexible band is the equiva' lent of the sleeve or tube a.

Fig. 9 shows an arrangement which can be adopted for fixing to thecylinder the two margins of the band g, to which is then reduced theflexible part of the sleeve. It is seen that the margins of the band arefixed to the cylinder by the circles 'i. In the places where there islittle inflation it suffices to increasethe section of the circles i, soas to lessen the active width of the band. Thus at the places where thecircles 't' have their smallest section 12 13 14 the sleeve can have itsgreatest inflation 17 ,while at the places where the circles have greatsection 12 13 15-16 the sleeve can have only the reduced inflationlS.

Fig. 10 shows how in the case of the arrangement Fig. 9 the two ends ofthe band g can be stopped by means of a wedge 70, if the motor is not anexpansive one.

It is to be understood that the sleeve, consisting, as I have just said,of a single flexible wall, suits all the modes of working out the systemthat have been indicated abovethe use of expansion, of small drums, andauxiliary distribution-cylinders, &c.

As to the mechanical rendering tight for an organ other than the drum inorder simply to obtain expansion without providing more than one turn ofthe sleeve or to provide less than one turn with or Without expansion itis obvious that this can be carried out by means of distributors of oneof the known kinds. It is, nevertheless, preferable to effect this bymeans of an organ acting like the drum-that is to say, by crushing thesleeve. I. shall indicate, by way of example, several arrangements thatcan be employed for this purpose.

In Fig. 12, 0 indicates a blade which forms the means of tightening. Thedrum before it reaches the point of escape 6 meets the proje'cting edgeof this blade, forcing it outward, so that its head presses on the endof the admission-passage Z of the sleeve, so that this passage is quiteclosed at the moment when expansion should begin or escape should takeplace. When the drum, advancing, reaches the sleeve again and can itselftighten, it leaves the blade 0 so that the admission-passage is open. Aspring-abutment 19 allows the blade 0 to yield to the push of the drumwithout ceasing to close the passage.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 13 the closing blade 0 is jointed tothe rod of an cecentric on the motor-shaft d. The blade 0 might beactuated by any other analogous mechanism. Thus it might be attached toa lever caused to oscillate on a pivot by meansof a cam or eccentric onthe motor-shaft d.

I have now to describe the arrangements that I may employ to vary theexpansion either in the case where the two ends of the sleeve pass overeach other or in the case where they are placed side by side. In bothcases expansion begins at the moment when the drum, rolling on the part4 to 6 of the run, comes to squeeze the part 1 2. In order to vary theexpansion, it suffices to vary the point where this squeezing begins,and this I found on the following observation: The squeezing can only beproduced if the sleeve when it is pressed by the drum cannot bendoutwardthat is to say, it finds support on the outside on aresting-surface; otherwise a it can swell outward, allowing fluid topass.

I drum rolls over the plates.

In the case where one end of the sleeve passes over the other, Fig. 14,expansion be understood that it is easy to regulate the expansion atwill by the use of interchangeable plates, such as s, of variousdimensions.

In the case where the two ends of the sleeves are near each other I canuse the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2. From 1 to 2 the admissionend of the sleeve rests on plates 8, which are hinged, as shown in Fig.2, so that they can rock outward under the pressure of the sleeve.Nevertheless these plates only so rock when they are not held by the111116 cessed part 25 of a slide Lt, so that in order to vary theexpansion this slide to has only to be moved the one way or the other.

I may finally mention that when the motor is employed with an elasticfluid the expansion of which causes cooling the reduction of temperaturecan be corrected by the circulation of some hot fluid. Fig. 3 shows, forinstance, an arrangement that may be adopted for this purpose. It isseen that under the side parts of the envelop g the cylinder a has holesby which it is put in communication with a circular channel g, whichreceives hot fluid. The movement of theenvelop by the inflation of thesleeve produces the desired circulation.

I claim-- 1. In a rotary motor, the combination of a cylinder, an inflatable and collapsible hollow flexible body which lines the internalwall of said cylinder and which has an inlet-orifice at one end and anexhaust-orifice at the other end, a shaft concentric with said cylinderand having an eccentric part, a drum mounted loosely on said eccentricpart of the shaft to roll over and collapse the said hollow body-at itscontact. therewith, and means forlimiting the inflation of that part ofsaid hollow body which presents itself in front of the drum while thelatter approaches the exhaust-orifice, substantially as and for thepurpose herein described.

2. In a rotary motor, the combination of a cylinder, an inflatable andcollapsible hollow flexible body which lines the internal wall of saidcylinder and which has an inlet-orifice at one end and-anexhaust-orifice at the other end, a shaft concentric with said cylinderand having an eccentric part, a drum mounted loosely on said eccentricpart of the shaft to roll over and collapse thesaid hollow body at itscontact therewith, and a band attached at its edges to the interior ofthe cylinder for limiting the inflation of that part of said hollow bodywhich presents itself in front of the drum while the latter approachesthe exhaustorifice, substantially as herein described.

3. In a rotary motor, the combination of a cylinder, an inflatable andcollapsible hollow flexible body which lines the internal wall of saidcylinder and the ends of which, provided respectively with inlet andexhaust orifices, overlap each other, a shaft concentric with saidcylinder and having an eccentric part, a drum mounted loosely on saideccentric part to roll over and collapse said hollow body at its contacttherewith, and means independent of the drum for positively limiting theinflation of that part of said hollow body which presents itself infront of the drum while the latter approaches the exhaust-orifice,substantially as herein described.

4. In a rotary motor, the combination of a cylinder, an inflatable andcollapsible hollow flexible body which lines the internal wall of saidcylinder and the ends of which, provided respectively with inlet andexhaust orifices, overlap each other, a shaft concentric with saidcylinder and having an eccentric part, a drum mounted loosely on saideccentric part to roll over and collapse said hollow body at its contacttherewith, a band attached to said MAURICE MICHON.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MACLEAN, ALOIDE FABE.

